gobbler's knob in western pennsylvania. after some discussion, his handler's discovered the news, that he did not see his shadow. if he would have seen it, legend has it we'd be in for six more weeks of winter. >> we already have a second opinion on this winter's forecast here in d.c. potomac phil also made his predictions for both spring and politics. the stuffed groundhog emerged in dupont circle to announce that sadly he saw his shadow. he's forecasting six more weeks of winter. since he does those political predictions as well, he also predicted six more weeks of gridlock in washington. >> and i think punxsutawney phil would probably agree with him on that. it is d.c., however. >> i'm so confused between all these different groundhogs. >> well, let's go to the professional. >> hey, chuck. >> let's take a look at the real professionals, shall we? punxsutawney phil, i didn't know how he could see his shadow today. there's already light snow falling in punxsutawney. but potomac phil, we had plenty

of sunshine early this morning. now the clouds are coming back in. temperatures are cold, in the upper teens and low 20s with a little bit of a breeze out of the southwest. windchills in the teens and 20s as well. not much showing up on doppler right now. there are snowflakes to the west. they're coming our way. expect a slow rise in temperatures above the freezing mark for a brief time today. snow showers coming our way for this afternoon and this evening. still looks like only maybe an inch at the most. nonetheless, we'll talk about the ins and outs of the weekend forecast coming up. new this morning, 13 pakistani soldiers were killed in an attack that is being called retaliation for u.s. drone strikes. it happened on a pakistani military base in the tribal region of south waziristan. the pakistani taliban claims responsibility. they say the attack is revenge for two drone strikes that killed two of their leaders. two militants also died in the

atta attack. also new this morning, north korea is renewing threats against the united states. the country is promising to retaliate against the u.s. for having so-called double standards after neighboring country south korea launched a rocket this week. washington condemned north korea's rocket launch in december but not south korea's launch. north korea hassed no said how it will retaliate. u.s. and south korean diplomats claim north korea used bann enn missile technology. right now, vice president joe biden is meeting with leaders in germany. earlier this morning, he talked about iran's nuclear ambitions at a security conference in munich. he says there's still room for diplomacy if iran is willing to make a good faith effort. today marks one year since the murder of a transgender woman in northeast d.c. mayor vincent gray will be among those attending a vigil today at

the bus stop where she was murdered. jones was waiting for a bus at the intersecti-- when she was s the face. she later died from her injuries. a maryland community is coming together to help a family who lost two of their daughters in a massive house fire. the fire broke out late thursday night on highland avenue in frederick county. 3-year-old sophie and 6-year-old madigan died of smoke inhalation. four members of the family survived. neighbors describe the chaos as they saw the house go up in flames. >> she wasn't screaming like words. it was just like a painful scream. >> absolutely devastated. a mother's worst nightmare. i just knelt down right there and prayed and said, god, please, have somebody get those kids out of there.

unfortunately, that didn't happen. >> jack lillard was taken to the hospital. the other three were treated and released. the community has set up numerous fundraisers and clothing drives for this family. to find out how you can help, go to nbcwashington.com. this morning, word from police that this could go on for some time, a tense hostage situation in alabama where a man is holed up in a bunker with a 5-year-old boy continues. authorities say jimmy lee dykes shot and killed a school bus driver tuesday afternoon and then grabbed the boy and took off. police believe the bunker there has electricity, food, and even tv, meaning the siege may not end any time soon. neighbors have been holding prayer vigils for the boy all week. new this morning, people in chicago are breathing a sigh of relief after a convicted murderer who was released by accident finds himself back in police custody. steven robins is serving a 60-year sentence in the indiana state penitentiary for murder.

wednesday night robins was mistakenly released after a court appearance in chicago. police found him last knignighta home about 60 miles south of chicago after numerous tips from the public. he was rearrested without incident. port operators along the east coast are breathing a sigh of relief this morning now that they've reached a deal for a new contract. this avoids a potential strike by long shoremen. the deal involved royalty payments made to union members for each container they unloaded. if the two sides did not come to an agreement, it would have crippled operations at 15 ports, including new york, new jersey, and hampton roads, virginia. both sides still do need to ratify that deal. you'll need some extra patience if you ride metro this weekend. six stations are closed. right now buses are replacing trains between federal center southwest and checerly on the orange line. the capital south, eastern market, potomac avenue, stadium armory, minnesota avenue, and

and did wood stations are all closed. there's also single tracking on the red and orange lines and tomorrow night only on the green and yellow lines. so you've been warned. >> it's the weekend. what do you expect? five minutes after the 9:00 hour. this morning, a consumer alert. the company that says their bed could put children in danger. and overnight, changes at the state department that reintroduces john kerry to the world. plus, a special trip to the gulf coast today for maryland state leaders, and it's not for the super bowl. and right now we are on facebook and twitter. find us there. just search news 4 today.

a recall this morning for some bunk beds after the maker says a child could get trapped or strangled. the world import bunk beds are being recalled because of metal

rails that are too far apart. the beds were sold in various stores between august of 2009 and february of 2012 in twin over twin and twin over futon models. the company is offering a free repair kit through its website. if you are on twitter, the site is urging you to reset your password after hackers reportedly gained access to thousands of accounts. twitter says it shut down one attack moments after it was detected, but hackers launched another attack and may have gotten user names, e-mails, and pass words for around 250,000 users. this is the latest major site to experience a cyber attack. earlier this week, both "the wall street journal" and "new york times" came under attack. it was a long shot, but kids in bethesda are celebrating this weekend thanks to one of their schoolmates. and the super bowl showcasing. a big comeback for the big easy this year. now let's go to chuck. all right. we got snowflakes in the forecast for your saturday, maybe even for your sunday too.

i'll be back in a couple minutes with a complete check of your weeken

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hillary clinton has been off the job for less than 24 hours, and she's already yesterday's news. this is the front page for the state department's website. it features new secretary of state john kerry. kerry was sworn in yesterday by supreme court justice elena kagan. meanwhile, clinton is a private citizen for the first time in more than 30 years. she says she's thankful for everything. maryland's capital will host the president next week. president obama plans to address senate democrats during a two-day retreat in ann nap lis. the white house is not releasing any details on what the

president will discuss, but the retreats are often used to craft strategy and messaging for the party for the coming year. governor martin o'malley will also host the senators for dinner at his home. at least one person has taken themselves off the president's short list for the next transportation secretary. the los angeles mayor says he is humbled by speculation he would fill the role, but he says he is firmly committed to finishing out his second term as mayor, which ends on june 30th. the popular mayor has pushed for increased rail service during his time as mayor. current transportation secretary ray lahood announced last week he is stepping down. in the day ahead, maryland state and local leaders are making their way to new orleans to cheer on the ravens. the former baltimore mayor martin o'malley will join the current mayor stephanie rawlings blake for a trip to the super bowl.

this will be new orleans' tenth super bowl. it may be one of the most important for the city. it's the first time the nfl's championship game will be played there since hurricane katrina hit seven years ago. with mardi gras adding to the party, the city is looking to show it's back and better than ever. nbc's jay grey has more now from the big easy. >> reporter: super bowl weekend -- >> go ravens! >> go niners! >> reporter: -- in the middle of mardi gras. >> it's a constant party. >> reporter: in the only town -- >> good hospitality, good food. it's awesome. >> reporter: -- that could handle hosting both. >> you see the sports part. you see the bourbon street and mardi gras part. it brings it all together. >> reporter: a difficult task in a city battered by katrina and stained by the bp oil spill, but unwilling to break.

legendary quarterback and a favorite son of the city, archie manning, says the big game in the big easy is a tribute to dedication and sacrifice here. >> it's been a great story of the recovery with a lot of help from the whole nation. >> reporter: a nation that is now joining in the celebration. >> this is fantastic. i've never been. you couldn't ask for a better town, better people. it's been amazing. >> reporter: amazing, the same word many fans are using to describe the host city. jay grey, nbc news, new orleans. check this out. kids at one bethesda school won't have to miss out on any of the super bowl action. that's thanks to an action of one first grader. that shot means all of those kids jumping up and down can sleep in on monday. the headmaster at the school in bethesda made a deal that if one of the few selected kids could

make that shot, they'd get monday off. a seventh and eighth grader both tried. they missed. the first grader nailed it. >> that's how you become the most popular kid in school. >> don't mess with him. >> i'm sure people will be buying him lunch for the rest of the year. >> he's destined to be class president in no time. >> pretty awesome. well, it's been a wintry groundhog day so far. >> of all things, winter has finally showed up here after a mild start. even though january ended cold, it was a mild month. december, more than five degrees above average. january, more than four degrees warmer than average. now finally a little cold back in our lives. it snowed a little last weekend. it may even snow again this weekend. we started out with a crystal clear sky early this morning. oh, that's already a thing of the past as mid and high-level clouds are racing in from the west. this is the leading edge of a weather change, which is coming our way. it's moving in very, very quickly. i think we will go from sunshine to snowflake chances right here

in washington before the sun goes down today. so be ready for a quick change. 23 right now in washington. winds are light out of the southwest at only 3 miles per hour. the one nice thing, it's not going to be anywhere near as windy, therefore not as wind chilled of a day today as it was yesterd yesterday. still plenty cold out there. 28 in culpepper. annapolis, maryland, at 22. gaithersburg and rockville still in the upper teens. off to a cold start this morning. warming up only just a little bit between now and about lunchtime today. what about your out and about time this afternoon? 1:00 to about 7:00 this evening, cloudy and cold. by 2:00, 3:00, 3:00 this afternoon, a chance of snow coming to the area. doesn't look like much. around town, a coating to maybe an inch for a lucky few. out to the west of i-81, one, maybe two inches of snow. that's really about it. it's the same story we've been

in for the last week or so. one little alberta clipper after another, just running right over us. today's clipper brings a little chance. there's another slight chance coming our way for tomorrow. leading edge of the snowflakes, still about eight hours away. most of this is going to dry up as it comes over the mountains. here's the way our computer weather forecast looks over the course of the day. clouds streaking back in. a chance for a quick passing snow shower or two between 3:00 or 4:00 this afternoon and 9:00 or 10:00 this evening. another chance for a ripple coming through here during the course of the day tomorrow. might wring out one or two more little snowflakes. that's going to be just about it before we settle back into a kwie etder stretch to get back to work and school. so today, sunshine now, but clouds on the way. light snow is likely, but accumulations are likely to be really light. generally one inch or less. temperatures today only up into the low and mid-30s. here's the four-day forecast. 34 today. 40 tomorrow. best chances of snow this weekend will be today. there's another chance for a little light snow coming tomorrow. a little break in the action coming up on monday.

then a little chance for light snow tuesday on into wednesday. after that, a little bit of a warming trend starting to come back our way. temperatures should be back up slightly above average by the end of the week. that means the late week precipitation chance in all likelihood is going to be rain, maybe a little snow in the high spots. twitter handle @chuckbell4. i'll be tweeting out updates as the snowflakes approach. >> okay. >> you're excited. >> you'll need a broom, not a shovel. >> okay. all right. thanks, chuck. big changes could be coming to school lunches across the country. the department of agriculture is proposing drastic measures that would push almost all candy, high-calorie drinks, and greasy meals off the menu. things like snack cakes and nachos would be replaced by trail mix and low-calorie beverages. it's part of a law passed in 2010 to combat childhood obesity. now for a look at what's inside the pages of this week's kids post. >> good morning. this week on kids post on tv,

some books about civil rights heroes, a chance to show off your pros, and an explanation why it never snows. joining us once again is tracy grant. good morning to you. nice to see you. >> great to be with you. >> february is black history month. you have a lot of good resources to learn more about notable figures in history. >> that's right. in tuesday's kids post, we look at five children's biographies. nelson mandela, desmond tutu, booker t. washington, ella fitzgerald. the message is, people make history. these are wonderful books, highly recommended for all kids and they're all reviewed in tuesday's kids post. >> wonderful way to celebrate the month. you're also featuring a writing contest for kids this week. >> that's right. in sunday's kids post, we have all the details about you can be a junior sports writer. the idea is to write an essay on what it means to be a successful

team. the deadline is february 25th. entries are submitted to kidspost@washpost.com. in sunday's kids post, your essay will be published and you win four tickets to a washington wizards game. it's worth thinking about what makes a successful team. >> excellent. there's a lot of young talent out there too. i know your readers are really good. >> we're going to get lots of great essays. >> finally, a little bit of snow, but people are wondering, what's going on? the snow lovers are upset. >> absolutely. this week we answer the question. the reason actually why we thought we were going to have as much as 15 inches of snow this year and have just sort of a dusting is the el nino, which was supposed to bring in snowy conditions, never materialized. but there's hope for snow lovers. february is typically the snowiest month in washington. >> it could snow in march in washington. we never know. >> that's right. so wear your pajamas inside out

and bring on the snow. >> all right, tracy. thanks as always. and for some fun family activities, visit nbcwashington.com or washingtonpost.com and click on kids post. that is kids post on tv this week. if you need to fill up the tank this morning, you might want to do a double take when you see the price. the national average is $3.49 this morning. that's up 7 cents in two days and 15 cents in a week. a gallon of regular in the district is $3.64. that's up 2 cents from overnight. maryland is seeing a 4-cent spike from yesterday. that's up to $3.50. virginia is the cheapest spot at $3.37. in west virginia, you're paying an average of $3.62 a gallon. if you're looking for better gas mileage, there are plenty of options at the washington auto show. more than 700 vehicles are on the showroom floor at the washington convention center. you're going to find everything from a luxury showcase to old hot rods and some new technology. you can see it all now through february 10th.

you can get a sneak peek before you go with our inside the washington auto show special. veronica and zachary take a look at some of the coolest cars on the floor. it starts this morning at 10:00 after news 4 today. you can catch it again tonight at 7:00 right here on nbc 4. today we find out if former raven jonathan ogden becomes a hall of famer. he spent his entire 12-year career wearing the purple and black. he says he's enjoying retirement and would be a true honor to join the all-time greats in canton, ohio. ogden credits his time at st. albens with helping him become one of the best offensive tackles in recent memory. >> it's a long way from the national cathedral. you know, st. albens, i grew up there. that's home. hopefully the people back in d.c. and st. albens will share this with me. that's where i got my start in this game. >> obviously, ogden is rooting

for the ravens in tomorrow's game. he says he wants to see ray lewis, who was drafted with him, go out as a champion. tomorrow's super bowl will also take on extra special meaning for offensive lineman michael oher. his adoptive father grew up in new orleans. his life with them become the basis for the best selling book "the blind side." it was then made into a movie starring sandra bullock, who coincidentally owns a home in the big easy. this last week has allowed them to promote their foundation making it happen, which helps underprivileged children. >> everyone knows that story now. >> that was a great movie. didn't she win for that? >> she was the best actress. then she got the curse because her husband -- well, we don't have to get into that. the time is 9:26. thieves find yet another way to go after your money. how procrastinating on filing your taxes could put you at risk. and the history lesson for singer alicia keys from legendary poe et maya angelou. almost tastes like one of jack's cereals.

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good morning. welcome to news 4 today. i'm angie goff. >> and i'm richard jordan. time now to check on our forecast. >> we've heard from punxsutawney phil, potomac phil, but what about nebraska avenue chuck? >> well, i can tell you one thing, we have a little sunshine out here. i'm going to ask our director to do the million-dollar shot pan down to the shadow we go. can you see nebraska chuck's shadow on the sidewalk? move around, let's see. yes, you can. it's there's. just a hint of a shadow on the storm team 4 weather deck this morning. just enough sunlight coming through to cast a shadow for now. if we took this measurement another two hours from now, you would not be able to see it. there's the sky cam view from

looking out to the west. already a thick grey overcast out to the western skies. that's coming into the city of washington. you won't be able to see your shadow much longer. temperatures, low 20s around the metro for now. your hometown forecast in gaithersburg, 19 degrees now. up to 27 by noontime. by 3:00, 4:00 this afternoon, an opportunity for a little light snow coming our way. that'll last up through your going out to the movies time frame. be ready for a little light snow coming our way this afternoon into this evening. we'll talk amounts, duration, and anymore chances for snow coming up. that's it from the front lawn. >> all right, chuck. see you back inside in a little bit. developing this morning in turkey, a warning for americans to stay away from diplomatic facilities in the country a day after a deadly bombing outside a u.s. embassy. a suicide bomber detonated a device at the front gate to the embassy yesterday. the blast killed the bomber and turkish security guard. a turkish journalist was also

hurt. the white house is calling it an act of terror. the pakistani teenager who survived an attack from the taliban has been nominated for the nobel peace prize. the 15-year-old has been nominated as an advocate for girls' rights to have an education. last year she criticized the taliban and a militant shot her three times, including once in the head. she survived the attack and is facing one more surgery. if she won, she would be the youngest peace prize recipient in the history of the award. today, family and friends will say their final good-byes tos a teen murdered at a d.c. bus stop. a funeral will be held for the 18-year-old in silver spring around noon today. last night, loved ones gathered for a memorial service. she was gunned down after meeting her accused killer, 21-year-old alexander buckley, through an iphone app called tagged. buckley was already wanted on a

felony trespassing warrant at the time of the murder. new this morning, the teen killed in a crash in maryland has been identified. 19-year-old earl lee was killed yesterday after the car he was riding in veered off the road and struck a tree. the crash happened on bachelors forest road in front of a middle school. the driver and another passenger, both 21, suffered minor injuries. a fairfax county community is still in shock at these west springfield high school students face child pornography charges. the students are accused of tape l themselves having sex with at least half a dozen girls without their knowledge, then distributing the video. police arrested the teens last month after school officials found out about a child porn sex ring. one parent, who did not want to be identified, is outraged by the scandal. >> where were the parents? why weren't the parents aware of what was going on in these kids' lives? am i appalled? yes. the parents, they need to be ashamed.

>> the three students, two 16-year-olds and a 15-year-old, are all being charged as juveniles. an effort to establish more charter schools in virginia seems to have fallen through. governor bob mcdonald's propose the constitutional amendment that would have given the state more money for charter schools died in a bipartisan house committee yesterday. the committee voted it down 9-12 over concerns that cities and counties would have to foot that bill. meantime, lawmakers in the commonwealth decide on monday whether to crack down on texts while driving. a senate committee will decide on whether to increase the fine from $20 to $250 and make it a primary offense, meaning police can stop a driver solely for texting. right now police can only ticket you for it if you're pulled over for another reason like speeding. another bill proposes making it a reckless driving offense, which could mean jail time. some drivers in virginia are complaining about the price of driving the new 495 express lanes. many commuters say the toll, which is based on congestion,

goes up even when there isn't any traffic on the interstate. transurban, which operates the lanes, says the pricing system is still adapting and that drivers should expect less fluctuation in the coming months. the average trip in the express lanes costs about $1.50 and can go as high as $6 during the rush. well, this is a big weekend for many of you going after a tax refund, but a heads up if you're typically a prokrast na to be when it comes to filing that annual statement. and she sang with one of the most popular girl groups ever. we talk with michelle williams about a possible destiny's child

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as tax season kicks into high gear, a federal judge has rejected an appeal from the irs to enforce new regulations on tax preparers. the irs wanted to have preparers who aren't attorneys or accountants to pass a competency

exam, but a u.s. district judge says these regulations exceed the group's authority. the irs wanted the regulations to take effect while they appealed the decision, but the judge denied that request. the irs says rules are needed to address an increase of what it calls poorly filed returns. and the earlier you file, the better. tax services say if you wait to file your taxes, there's a chance you could become a victim of identity theft. fraudsters are already hard at work trying to steal your identity and get your tax refund. if that happens, it could mean big problems for you come refund time as you could see delays as the irs tries to fix the problem. still to come, a side of ma maya ang maya angelou we rarely get to hear. and more mentions of snowflakes coming your way. we'll

with tomorrow marking the end of the nfl season, commissioner roger goodell issing lis looking ahead. he gave his state of the league address yesterday and focused on the heavy head injuries and heavy hitting that have drawn so much attention. >> we ha to take these hits out of the game that we think have a higher risk of causing injuries. the focus is on defenseless players. i stand by our record. i think we have made those changes and made the game safer. >> goodell also said that he expects testing for human growth hormone to be in place by the start of next season. virginia tech is at the forefront of researching football head injuries, but now they are turning their attention to other sports in hopes of making things safer for all athletes. >> reporter: a crash test dummy gets the equivalent of a swift

punch in the head. it's a new tool for virginia tech engineers to help predict the risk of concussions and determine the safest head gear to help prevent them. >> every head impact has two components. a linear component and rotational component. if you want to accurately describe head impacts, you have to have both. >> reporter: this professor will use the machine as he expands his study and gives star ratings to helmets in hockey, lacrosse, baseball, and softball. >> one of the new things we're going to be able to do is look at the relative comparison between different sports. up to this point, we've only done football. >> reporter: this machine will be used over the next few years to test baseball and softball helmets. as you can see, it's not quite ready to show an action. the results of that study will be released in 2016. he says concussions are highest in the sport among catchers, but he tells me he'd rather have his kid on a diamond than at gridiron. >> any sport you play, you're going to have the risk of a head injury. you have to minimize that risk. for me, i don't allow my 9-year-old son to play football,

but he can also get an injury riding a bike. >> reporter: over the next few month, he plans to release the newest star ratings for football helmets as well as youth football data. >> researchers say they have found that some of the hardest hits come during practice, so coaches can also help reduce injury by toning down workouts. so ye faithful, there is no shadow to see. an early spring for you and me. >> thousands waited in single-digit temps all night to see that groundhog make his winter forecast, and it was worth it. punxsutawney phil did not see his shadow this morning, meaning an early end to spring. if he would have seen it -- or winter. if he would have seen it, legend has it we'd be in for six more weeks of winter. >> we need to figure out how often he's right. >> somebody on twitter sent out he's only right 37% of the time.

someone else said, i'll take chuck because he's only right aft half the time. take that with a grain of salt. >> i like that. i'll retweet that. >> so we did see our shadow here in washington today, whether you're potomac phil or whether you're me, just minutes ago standing on the front lawn of channel 4. i, too, saw my shadow. i'm predicting six more weeks of what little winter we've been able to have around here. right now it is indeed a cold start. skies were crystal clear on my way into work early this morning. now look at that. a full deck of overcast has run over the city of washington. these clouds are going to continue to lower and thicken as we go through the morning and into the afternoon. still 23 degrees with just enough sun coming through to cast a shadow. that's not going to last much longer. temperatures are stranded in the middle and upper teens across the shenandoah valley. mid and upper 20s in southern

maryland. 21 degrees at the inner harbor in baltimore. we're off to a cold start. clouds will continue to increase. temperatures will continue to go up here for the next couple of hours. i don't think we're going to get too much farther above about the freezing mark, maybe one or two ticks above freezing. that is it. that will occur before the snow showers start later this afternoon into this evening. how much snow should we expect? well, a coating to maybe an inch. a viewer here in town yesterday morning, that's about what we're in for again today. coating to maybe an inch. could see a little more than in the one to two inch range out to the west of interstate 81 into the mountains of west virginia been as of now, no advisories of any kind are posted here in the washington area. first snowflakes are still seven to eight hours away from the metro. a little earlier, a few folks along interstate 81. our winter-like weekend is off to a sunny start. here's awhere things get interesting. there's that snow chance right here over the city of

washington. by 8:00, 9:00, that one is pushing east. there's another little ripple on its heels. that may bring us a chance for snow early sunday morning before that pulls out and leaves us essentially high and dry to get the week started. so for today, clouds are coming back now. light snow likely this afternoon, but generally less than an inch. highs today, low to mid-30s. for tomorrow, sort of the reverse of today. we'll start with the clouds and a little snow chance. i think we'll have sunshine back by tomorrow afternoon. the all-important seven-day forecast. 34 today. near 40 tomorrow. again, snow chances are late today and early on your sunday. then we'll be dry and quiet on monday. another little chance for some light snow showing up in the tuesday and wednesday time frame. but that, again, also looks like one of these one-inch or less possibilities. then temperature s trending upward to the above average category. friday precipitation most likely in the form of rain.

i'll be here all day, night, and tomorrow. @chuckbell4 on twitter. plus, our storm team 4 facebook page sending out the updates, giving the timing. >> no shovel, right? >> sweeping, not shoveling required for this event. >> oh, man. >> sorry. >> thank you, chuck. well, the hit broadway musical kicked off its national tour this week here in d.c. one of its stars used to be in music's biggest girl group. >> michelle williams sang alongside beyonce in destiny's child. now she's back in the spotlight as rumors swirl of a long-awaited reuniyuunioreunion. >> reporter: she's best known for singing and dancing as part of the trio destiny's child. since the group decided to focus on their solo careers almost a decade ago, michelle williams has built a brand of her own. what differs michelle williams from destiny's child that we know from michelle williams

today. >> to me, she's the same girl. she's the same woman. okay. she's grown. she is grown up. >> reporter: and her impressive resume is growing. not is she hard at work on her fourth solo album, she's headlining the national tour for the tony award winning musical, playing the feisty role of the love interest. >> i love the fact i can be a little bossy, and i believe i'm bossy in real life. my family calls me sergeant. you do have to make it your own in a way, but i am staying true to the integrity of what she was about. >> reporter: and williams had to be honest with herself, admitting recently she's overcome years of moderate c depression. >> i work out. i think positive things. my surroundings are so important, who you keep around you. >> reporter: williams says she loves feeding off the audience when she's on stage. >> man, i'm so mad that i'm not

in some of these numbers. like "yellow fever." i'm just going to come up on the stage and start dancing. >> reporter: and she hopes everyone who sees the musical walks away with one simple message. >> live life, right? just love. >> reporter: seth lemon, news 4. >> so as for a destiny's child reunion, we're just going to have to wait and see. williams is not talking about the possibility of appearing on stage with beyonce during the super bowl halftime show tomorrow either. >> but she does have a couple days off during the production of her broadway show during the super bowl. and kelly rowland already reported being down in new orleans. beyonce really kind of playing it coy during that newser when asked about this. >> are you making a prediction here? >> i think we're going to see a little d.c. on stage. i don't know. i'm a fan. i don't think you're ready for this jelly. >> i'm not ready. let's move right along.

as for legend dare poet maya angelou, she's celebrating this black history month with a radio program called "telling our stories." >> in one of her first installments, angelou found one of her guests teechg her how to sing. ♪ i came to jesus >> you heard angelou teaching grammy winning singer alicia keys how to line out. that's a type of call and response singing popular in the south. the radio show is all about singing songs and stories with woven interviews like keys, oprah, jennifer hudson. >> going to be really nice. >> yeah. well, it's all about the numbers. how three teens pulled off something very

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this morning, a 10-year-old boy from our area is officially in the record books. back in november, matthew and his family, who are from herndon, virginia, were fishing off the coast of key west when he caught this, a grouper that weighs more than 23 pounds. it took more than two months to verify, but this morning it is confirmed. he now holds the world record for biggest catch by a junior angler by the international game fishssociation. getting a perfect score on the s.a.t.s is extremely rare, but three students from the same high school getting perfect scores, that's almost unheard of. the three students all go to upper dublin high school. that's just outside philadelphia. they each scored a perfect 2400. they all said they prepared for more than a year. only about one in every 5,000 students receives a perfect score each year.

that is really amazing. >> yeah. >> i wonder if they studied together. >> we have three unperfect scores. >> i'm getting worried. i scored like 1200 something. now it's out of 2400. this makes me a little nervous. >> i was thinking that too. >> testing is definitely getting a little tougher. well, we do want to remind you that we have a great show following our newscast this morning. it's inside the washington auto show. it's hosted by veronica and zachary. >> that's right. you can go to the auto show at the washington convention center starting today and throughout the weekend. >> i got to take a test drive of a new lincoln as well. that's in the show. >> we'll be looking for that. >> that's going to do it for news 4 today. thanks so much for watching. >> we'll be back here tomorrow morning starting dark and early at 6:00 a.m. stay warm.

welcome to the 2013 auto show from the washington convention center.

>> last year was all about fuel efficiency, and this year they kind of take the next step, injecting into the style a little bit. >> we're going to take a look at two popular suvs and see how they match up against one another. >> we're also going to see what kind of test drive you can take at your local car dealer. >> these days luxury vehicles aren'tity way they used to be. there's south some great options, that i think might make a lot of people go, wow. >> the new 2014 stingray corvette, we're going to talk about that a little later on. >> but most competitive part of the automotive market right now is the small crossover suv. andy will test drive every year. i took a look at one of the best selling suvs on the road today

and see how it fared up against some serious engineering. >> with so many suvs on the market, why not another? mazda never the company to shy away from new and bold technology has done it again. it is the first mazda vehicle designed from the start to incorporate the corporation's very first sky active technology. so what's new, a new engine, a new transition and a new all wheel transition. mazda wants the vehicle to last for years through any bumps and dents. the inside cabin of the cx-5 comes loaded with gate features and options, a push button start. it seats five people easily.

>> i'm almost 5'11", almost 6 feet, but i still have space back here. >> the inside of the vehicle proved a little bit more pleasing than the test ride. >> what i am finding is just in light traffic, going 50 miles an hour i am having to give it gas at times to keep up. so it's not quite the pepiness i'm used to. i drive a sports car most of the time. it does come with sway bars in the front and back, so it's a nice, tight ride. now let's talk over to ford and take the escape for a run. it comes with features rare in its class, including active grill shutters and hid headlights. >> people are really pleased with the new design.

>> it has been improved upon and made for friendly. >> please say a command. >> two of the features i like best on the escape. as visibility on the road. >> what's difference is that you have this true cockpit feel that ns throughout the vehicle. not only is the gear shifters if you were driving manual, in the middle, even the automatic version comes that way. great brakage and acceleration, with an ease off the line, with an ease i'm moving away from the light. no problem with power and acceleration on the ford escape. this was close for me in the end, the ford escape inched out slightly better. i'm just someone who likes a little bit more pep, a little bit more oomph in my rife.

>> over in the toyota corner, we're talking a little bit about hybrid vehicles. one of the first hybrids to hit the road was the toyota prius. now it's an entire line of cars, toyota's way of influencing both electric and gas and the results have been unbelievable in many of these cars, they're getting as much as 50-mile-per-hour on the road. doesn't matter if you're getting a prius or a pick-up truck, but if you're buying a new car, you want to go out and have a test drive. i went out to fitzgerald to see what you need to know before you head out to your local dealer. >> test driving a car can be a blast. all the options, all your

wisdom. just you and an endless road to possibilities. but the experts say be pro -- >> the test drive is probably the most fun part of a buying a car. so you don't want to get caught up too much in the emotion. certainly go of the and test drive and enjoy the car, but make sure it's fulfilling the function that you need. and what i mean by that is, i want you to take the life that you have in this car, and insert it into this car. >> scott says that could mean throwing in the baby seat, even going to grab groceries, do all the things you'll need to do on a day bday-to-day basis. >> i'm going to have to slide the seat belt back to begin with. >> i imagine you would. >> when it comes to all the bells and whistles, it's not a

bad idea to make a couple of lists, what you need and just what you would like to have. >> the car's got all kinds of features today. you've got to ask yourself, do i need that feature? or do i want that feature. is that why i'm selecting this car or is it nice to have? when you go back and check what you need versus what you want. you may find yourself stepping yourself up outside the budget. >> it's all about striking a balance between what you want and what you really need. but if you're going used, take it one step further than that car history report and have that bad boy checked out by someone who knows exactly what they're talking about. >> not all history is recorded so you need to make sure that dealership shares with you some kind of certification and inspection program. some dealerships do that with all their cars.

make sure you get that inspection along with the car's history report. >> you said you liked red. four wheel drive. a lot of head room. >> speaking of test drives, this might not be a bad way to go right here if you can handle all the power underneath the hood, this is a 2013 dodge challenger and what they have done here is take an old school power, muscle car and outfitted it with all the latest technology, including a gps player, all for just over $25,000. it's a hot, hot car and i think veronica's got something even hotter. >> i just had to have one or at least come over and sit in it. this is the mustang gt-500. this car has been restructured. it's got a v-8 engine and it

puts out a growl. well, we are talking luxury cars coming up on the show, some of the latest features, everything from -- the automobile company that's calling northern virginia home.

welcome back to the 2013 washington auto show. we're here now at lincoln and i'm standing right by the lincoln mkc. this is a concept car unveiled just two weeks ago at the detroit auto show. for lincoln, they say this represents their future, where they will be headed over the next couple of years and you can see zachary, the lines on this

concept car, and it does look very future restic, very streamlined, so you're not going to have a lot of drag when you're out on the highway. >> you can tell it's fast, and as you mentioned, it's a concept car, it's not quite here yet, but i think the mkt will be a perfect fit for this one. it's a little bit bigger, it's a little bit more roomy. it just has a good feel, it doesn't matter if you're hanging out with your friends or going to tailgate, it's a good fit. >> it looks like it has a lot of options too. [ no audio ]

>> buttons here, your cluster here, your voice. >> some of the more unique features include blind spot detection, adaptive cruise control and even automatic parking. >> one of the really cool new things for 2013 is the optical park assist. this allows you to parallel park hands free. >> this is something i had to see for myself. let's put this feature by itself. >> now it's searching for a spotted, take your hands off the we'll. >> it's going back, i think it's going to make it. at highway speeds there was a little more than a whisper of wind or road noise. the cruise control will set not only how fast you want the car to go, it also maintains a

distance from the car in front of you. it also alerts you of someone in your blind spot and also tells you if it thinks you need a rest or a coffee break. >> if you're hungry, you push the voice button and say i'm hungry. it will search for restaurants nearby or in the city. [ no audio ] >> the entry price of a lincoln mkt starts around 45,000, but the stick ter on the one we drove, just over 58,000. from lincoln to cadillac, which has its own nolling, but it's not just with our parents and grarntds anymore. there's a whole new generation of cadillac lovers out there and

this brand-new stx is a prime reason why, it's fitted on the inside, it's got style, it's got class. if you're f ee're trying up to something and make a statement. it's a wireless system that streams music and context. it also has apps, like 3 3g gave nation. the q system l eventually be available in other models but for now it's just the stx. the stx comes with four -- veronica, over to you. >> i'm standing now with scott keogh, who is president of aud day of america. scott, you guys are here now in northern virginia, you've moved to northern virginia for the base of audi's headquarters. why did you guys pick northern virginia? >> i think it's a fantastic

place to be. what a lot of people forget is that it's the fourth largest car market in the united states. and we wanted to be where our customers are. and it's a fantastic place to live. i think the final thing is if you look at the conversation in america, so much of it is happening in washington, d.c., whether it's with legislation, new laws and new policy being passed and we really wanted to be in that conversation as opposed to away from that conversation. but frankly, we love it here. >> talk about what the main function is of that headquarters and who you're responsible for there? >> we handle sales. operation and legal. at the end of the day, the cars come in the factory and we have a close relationship with english stock, our car makers in germany. we have 275 dealers across the

country and we work with them to make sure they ketreat customer well. this is the bmx-1. it's a little bit smaller than the bmw. this is the baseline version, if you think you need some all-wheel drive for those slushy days in the nation's capital, this is a perfect fit. you get 3.0, six cylinders underneath the hood so a lot of power there so do it it in spil and class as bmw always do. we'll check out some of the cars that won the green technology awards.

we have peter o'donnell, of mazda, you were ecstatic when you got this award. >> it's a great opportunity and a great recognition of mazda. our ability to talk to cust mers about this and have a vehicle that gets best in class fuel economy with a lighter chasis, better engines, high compression vehicles. >> it will hit the road when? >> mazda 6 has launched this month. we have begun selling the cars at our dealerships. >> and they're prized around? >> mazda 6, starts at around

21,000. >> peter, ron, thank you both very much. >> this is the hyundai velocity. originally it doesn't have a lot of horsepower under the hood, but they have gone to 28 horsepower to now more than 200. this car comes standard with a six-speed manual transmission. if you want to upgrade, you always have the option for the automatic too. the other cool thing about honda is it has a wide. >> -- in 1978, i was just a teenager, but i loved cars even thrown. i remember this car t 1978 trans am. i know it's a new car show, but we're also talking classic cars as well. take a look at this ride, not

made for street, but made for track with it's modified engine out of the hood and look at those wing style doors, who wouldn't want to get some wind out of that. that one puts out serious horsepower. and how about going for it maserati style. look at this red hot ride. if you've got just under $80,000 you'll be able to squeeze intoa. if you want to slow things downing just a little bit. you can't get any more classic than this one right here. it's the gt-500. that is one pretty ride and it certainly has been kept care of quite well. when you talk classic cars too, you've got to include one more and that is the corvette stingray, right behind me here, another classic, but let's fast forward now, because coming up in just a couple of minutes,

we'll show you the 2014 new stingray, that has a lot of enthusiasts excited.

welcome back to the 2014 washington auto show. it wouldn't be -- >> recently i got a chance to drive the new ford vet, it has been a little controversial for a couple of reasons. now it's not on the road yet, it's not in any of the dealerships and it's unfortunately not in this car show. so i received a little bit of help from the corvette club in maryland to get their reaction as to how the car's being received.

there are few cars that can get one's blood racing, blood pumping and deliver goose 3wubu than a corvette. >> it's the greatest thing you can ever do is buy a corvette. >> this is no standard corvette, this is the redefineded modern version of the stingray. this is the 2014 chevrolet corvette. it's taken new technologies to inspire the driver. >> the only thing i liked about it were the seats, and the front end. >> the first generation corvette, the c-1 was released in 1954 model year arngnd it en in 1962. that speed is delivered by a new lt-1 engine, a limited output of

450 horsepower output. >> these cars are pretty much bulletproof, you can drive them to the track, i drag race it, i drive it back home. >> you can pick the manual 7 speed transition or the automatic 6 speed. as for as threatings--it is enough to carry the name stingray. >> thumbs up, i saw the front, the scoop, and the actual styling of it and it was hot. >> the stingray is the most aerodynamic body style you'll find. check out the carbon fiber hood, it lightens the car's weight.

>> when you're at 15 miles an hour, it tends to o'- >> the interior is designed to connect the driver to the car and it starts with this can't be real amazing cockpit, it sounds like it curves around the driver. >> looks like they finally brought it into the 21st century. >> the corvette stingray represents the future of the modern performance car. >> of course it all starts with detroit, you've got chicago, los angeles, even overseas they do it. but no one does it like right here in washington, d.c. and i think the reason for that is because the automotive industry has a chance to meet with capital hill, those policymakers to talk about any issuesor concerns they may have. >> the consumers, those who are actually driving the vehicles on

the road. >> i hope you had a good time. >> the car show will actually be going on here until february 10. so we encourage everybody at home to come on and check it out.